


take me under the mistletoe

by dearlyuta



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Christmas, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance, chenle jisung and yukhei are only mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 15:29:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17062370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearlyuta/pseuds/dearlyuta
Summary: In which Jeno tries to hang up mistletoes everywhere so he can have an excuse to kiss his best friend.(Of course, it backfires.)





	take me under the mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> omg i'm finally finished with this. it's been a while since i wrote something so i'm sorry if it sucks sdjdkdksd. anyway, please excuse any mistakes since i didn't get to proofread it. have fun reading!

_001._

“That’s,” Donghyuck arches a brow at the way Jeno is tiptoeing on the highest step on the ladder, eager to hang the mistletoe on the ceiling of their dorm room, “a really horrible idea.”

A frown adorns Jeno’s features as he finally gets to hook the mistletoe at the top, moving back a bit to survey his work before his eyes flicker over to the brown-haired boy. Donghyuck stares back at him, completely unamused by his antics and Jeno huffs loudly, almost missing a step and yelping as he clutches at the sides of the ladder.

“Well, do you have any other ideas that aren’t stupid?”

“Ideas that don’t involve you climbing a ladder to hang a mistletoe and possibly falling off because of your idiotic ass? Yes.”

“I hate you.” Jeno replies with no real bite in his voice, finally beginning to climb down the ladder in measured and careful steps, heaving a relieved sigh once he lands on the last step with a flourish. He throws a triumphant grin at his best friend but Donghyuck only rolls his eyes at him, shaking his head.

“I got a better idea than this,” Donghyuck gestures to the entire dorm room covered in Christmas lights with a lone mistletoe hanging at the ceiling, “entire mess you just created.”

“What?” Jeno perks up, his bright eyes staring back at his best friend expectantly and Donghyuck’s lips curve themselves into a sweet, innocent smile.

“Confess to him, you dumbass.”

“Ugh, you’re no help.” Jeno goes back to sulking, bottom lip jutting out to resemble a pout as his gaze flickers from the mistletoe to the lights strung up along the walls. They’re not that terrible, right? Besides, Renjun, his roommate and other best friend, has always liked it when Jeno is the one who decorates the dorm since he’s always so busy. He just tells Jeno what kind of specifications that he needs to follow every year but for this year, when Jeno caught him during one day before Renjun left for his first class in the morning and asked him about it, Renjun just carelessly shrugged and said, “Feel free to decorate everything however you want.”

And Jeno thinks he did such a wonderful job at decorating. He’s pretty sure that Donghyuck is just salty since Jaemin, Donghyuck’s roommate, is usually the one handling the Christmas decorations since they take turns. Donghyuck already finished up decorating last Halloween and Jaemin jumped at the opportunity to take over their dorm for the holiday season.

“Do you think Renjun would like this?” Jeno gestures to the wide expanse of the room before directing their attention over to the ceiling. The lonely mistletoe hangs beautifully right at the center of the room and Jeno feels incredibly proud over it. He thinks that Renjun would absolutely adore the decorations too.

“Jen, I could barely see the mistletoe and I already have perfect vision.”

“No, you don’t.” Jeno throws a glare at Donghyuck and the smaller boy shrugs his shoulders carelessly at him.

“I do and I’m telling you that the kind of mistletoe you got is too small. “

“Since when did mistletoes come in different sizes?” The words slip past Jeno’s lips easily and they’re enough for Jeno to shake his head abruptly, as if snapping out of his train of thoughts, “You know what? Whatever. I’m sure Injun would be able to see that.”

“I really think that you should follow my advice, dumbass.” Jeno opens his mouth, ready to throw a retort at him but the sound of the lock turning and the door swinging open stops him in time. Renjun slips in, shaking the snow out of his hair before sniffling, wrapping the jacket around his body even more as if he’s asking for more warmth.

“I forgot to bring my hat today.” Renjun announces, stepping inside and stopping right after, blinking rapidly as he takes in the sight of the room strewn with Christmas lights and Donghyuck’s light snickering right at the side. Jeno throws him a glare but Donghyuck only snickers louder, obviously having fun in teasing the older boy.

“Oh,” Renjun takes one more glance around the room before beaming at Jeno’s direction, his starry eyes brighter than the usual, “the room looks really pretty, I like it!”

“Whipped.” Donghyuck coughs into his fist and Jeno throws him a look whilst Renjun spares them a confused stare, not understanding the meaningful glances exchanged between them. Jeno narrows his eyes afterwards and Donghyuck immediately flashes a nervous grin at him, already making his way over to the doorway.

“I’ll see you two later, lovebirds!” Donghyuck calls out before rushing out of the room, already too far away for Jeno to jump on him and attack him relentlessly. He can’t believe Donghyuck almost gave away the fact that he has a crush on Renjun — he would have been mortified if Renjun would find out that way.

“So,” Jeno approaches him as Renjun walks over to the closet, shredding off his jacket and leaving him in a loose sweater. He runs a hand through his own brown hair, letting the strands tangle around his fingers before he flashes a bright smile at Jeno. Honestly speaking, Jeno would have melted straight to the ground because of how adorable Renjun looked like — wearing loose pants with a white sweater that Jeno gifted to him. For some reason, that sweater became one of Renjun’s prized posessions and he would get oddly possessive over that one piece of clothing. He would always glare at anyone who attempts to borrow it and Jeno can’t help but feel like his heart will explode because god, how is Renjun so adorable like that?

It’s _unfair_.

“What is it?” Renjun spares him a look filled with curiosity, his dark orbs staring back at the younger boy as he switches his boots for a pair of comfortable rubber shoes. Jeno hums instead, eyes flickering over to the white ceiling, which is bare with the exception of the tiny mistletoe hanging right at the middle.

Renjun didn’t seem to get the memo though — he only furrows his eyebrows at him with a frown already starting to draw itself on his lips. He looks adorably confused with the entire ordeal and Jeno wants to tell him to _look at the damn ceiling already!_ but he doesn’t want to be too obvious.

“Is there something wrong?”

“I—” Jeno raises his brows, his gaze occasionally flickering up to the ceiling. Renjun doesn’t follow his line of sight and his frown only grows deeper as he picks up his bag from the floor, letting one of the straps sling over his shoulder.

“Uh,” Jeno speaks, voice coming out as a squeak before his shoulders drop in surrender, huffing softly as if he finally admitted himself to defeat, “nothing.”

“Okay,” The word that escapes his mouth stretches itself out as Renjun stares at the door, throwing Jeno another one of those brilliant smiles that can make anyone’s heart flutter crazily, “Listen, I have to head over to Lele and Jisungie’s dorm. They’re asking me some questions on their huge project so I decided to help out! Do you want to go with me?”

Jeno hesitates for a moment before shaking his head with a disappointed frown gracing itself on the corners of his mouth, eyes roaming over to the amount of work he has to do.

“Sorry, I can't.”

“Oh.” A crestfallen expression crosses his face too fast before a wide smile curves itself on his lips, his eyes bright once again. Jeno wonders if he did see it right or if his eyes are tricking him.

“Okay! I’ll see you later then?”

“Yeah.” Jeno lets out an awkward laugh but Renjun doesn’t pay any attention to it, only curling his lips into a familiar heart-fluttering smile again before he leaves the room again. If Jeno looked closer, he would have seen the little bounce in the older boy’s steps.

Jeno huffs loudly, the sound echoing and bouncing off the walls when he’s finally alone. When his gaze travels up to the ceiling, the ting mistletoe seems to stare back down at him, as if it’s mocking him because he didn’t get a kiss from his best friend that he’s been crushing on since forever.

 _Next time,_ Jeno narrows his gaze at it, _I promise._

-

_002._

“That’s a bad idea, Jen.” Jaemin stares at the mistletoes stuck on the wall on Renjun’s side of the dorm room. Donghyuck pops his head in from the bathroom, eyes widening at the amount of mistletoes decorating the wall right in front of Renjun’s desk.

“See? I told you it was a bad idea!”

“You guys aren’t that helpful.” Jeno proceeds to ignore them, taping mistletoes of different sizes on the concrete — he kind of lost count after he hit ten already — and he’s so sure that this time, Renjun won’t be able to ignore him. Renjun doesn’t look like someone who’ll be clueless over this kind of thing especially since he’s known in their friend group as someone who adores Christmas so much. The moment the first day of November rolls in, Renjun has already taken down the decorations for Halloween and bringing out boxes of Christmas lights and ornaments that they could use. He even hauls in a miniature tree that he had to bribe their RA, Mark Lee, to keep quiet about since if they’re being honest, Jeno and Renjun both have a tendency to overdo their decorations quite a bit.

“Kind of surprising that you’re doing this though. I mean, you know, you’re asking him to kiss you.” Donghyuck finally slips out of the bathroom, crossing the distance between the door up to the wall in large strides so he could carefully survey the way the mistletoes are taped. Jeno does a fine job hiding his exasperated expression, only letting his shoulders drop as he puts down the last mistletoe right by Renjun’s desk instead.

“What do you mean?” Donghyuck halts at Jeno’s words, throwing him a look before one of the edges of his mouth curve upwards into a mischievous grin. Jeno does not like that look at all.

“Are we just going to forget the way you practically yelped when Junnie tried to hold your hand once?”

“Oh my god, I remembered that! That was a classic,” Jaemin jumps in the conversation, his expression morphing into something that’s oddly similar to what Donghyuck is wearing as he snuggles up at Jeno’s side, “At least you don’t scream now. You only freeze up and discreetly try to remove your hand out of Injun’s hold.”

“I don’t do that!” Jeno cries out, cheeks dusted with bright pink as he lowers his head to hide the apparent embarrassment displayed on his features.

“You do! Sometimes, Injun will actually get annoyed and just hook his arm around with yours so you can’t get away.” Jeno mumbles a string of incoherent words, not knowing how to properly respond to their accusations. Especially when those accusations are unfortunately true and Jeno is beyond ashamed and mortified every time that thought passes through his head.

“It’s so obvious how much Injun likes you.” Jaemin singsongs and Jeno halts completely, the heat rushing to his cheeks and painting them with a red tint. The thought of Renjun actually liking him back sounds incredibly…. _unbelievable_. As much as he wants to believe Jaemin’s words with everything he has, it just seems to be ludicrous. Renjun liking him? He wants to laugh at the absurdity — he knows Renjun for years already and Renjun has never showed any spark of interest in anyone.

“No, he doesn’t like me.” Jeno mutters, attempting to keep his voice as steady as possible but it wavers just at the end. A string of mumbled curses leave his mouth as he turns to his friends with a deep frown.

“Yes, he does!” Donghyuck’s voice is a little too loud so Jeno has to clamp a hand over his mouth to muffle any other words that will leave his lips. Donghyuck glares right at him, pushing his hand away before he crosses his arms over his chest with an unmistakable loud huff slipping past his pair.

“I’m sure that Injun likes you. I remember when he won at an art contest and you literally ran up to the stage, as if you were the one who won. You wrapped him a tight hug and swung him around. I saw how wide his smile was and how he was blushing because you kept hugging him.” Donghyuck sniffles as he recounts the memory clearly playing in his head. “Honestly, you guys are really cute. A bunch of adorable idiots, I must say.”

“Hey, Injun isn’t an idiot.”

“Really? Out of everything I’ve said, that’s the only thing you’ll pick up?” Donghyuck rolls his eyes at him and Jaemin snickers, leaning in close to his roommate to stage-whisper.

“They’re both whipped.”

“I’m not— I mean, he’s not whipped!” Jeno scowls but even then, the only reaction that is gouged out from the other two boys is them sharing a laugh, elbowing each other.

“Aw, our Jeno is so cute when he’s angry.”

“I’m not!”

“What’s going on here?” Renjun steps inside the dorm, cheeks flushed due to the cold weather outside as he hugs his sweater close to his body. Jeno yelps a little too loudly, almost knocking a few items placed on Renjun’s desk as he awkwardly stands by it. Donghyuck and Jaemin share another laugh before approaching the older boy standing by the door, who looks bewildered.

“Your boyfriend is mad because we’re bullying him.”

“We’re not dating!” The words escape both of Jeno’s and Renjun’s mouths too easily, as if they’ve practiced saying that statement before. Donghyuck widens his eyes and Jaemin does a horrible job of stifling his laughter filled with amusement as he leans in close to his roommate again.

“Soulmates.”

“Shut up!” Jeno’s cheeks are dusted with pink, clearly mortified over the way Jaemin and Donghyuck keep on teasing the both of them. The two roommates share a fit of echoing laughter as they slip past the doorway, but not without Donghyuck screaming, _have fun kissing, you two!_

Jeno stands by the desk, the tips of his ears turning red with embarrassment as he lowers his head to avoid Renjun’s inquisitive stare directed at him. The sound of the bag softly dropping on the wooden floor catches his attention so he finally gathers the courage to raise his head, seeing the way Renjun marvel over the way the mistletoes taped up at the wall in front of the table.

“What is this about?” Renjun tries to take long strides over to his desk but since he’s not really that tall, he has to take more steps to reach it. It takes everything in Jeno not to burst right then and there because oh god, Renjun really is the epitome of all things that are heart-fluttering and adorable.

“Are you trying to get someone to kiss you?” The edge of Renjun’s voice is dripping with playfulness, his starry eyes are bright with amusement and mischievousness. Jeno steals a glance at the wall and for a moment, he’s slammed with the realization that maybe there are too many mistletoes taped and that oh, Jaemin and Donghyuck are probably right (He can’t believe he actually has to admit to something like that).

“Oh, you mean this?” Jeno tries to coolly lean his elbow against the mistletoe-covered wall but instead, his elbow misses the concrete and he almost stumbles to the floor clumsily. He doesn’t miss the chuckle that accidentally leaves Renjun’s lips and the way the older boy’s eyes widen in shock when he realizes that Jeno heard him right. He flashes a sweet smile and Jeno hates that his knees immediately goes weak at the sight of the boy’s lips curling upwards. Anything that Renjun does seems to easily take a toll on his poor heart.

“Well, yeah. Who are you planning to kiss? Me?” Jeno stops in his tracks and his train of thoughts just seem to break into a million of pieces, colliding against one another and bursting into a chaotic mess. He can’t even begin to fight the blush that rises to his face, coloring his cheeks in a red tint that’s fairly obvious to anyone who’s paying attention to him.

“I, uh, of course not!” Jeno is horrified the moment those words leave his lips but the more he stares at his best friend, his resolve to actually kiss him and confess his feelings appears to weaken even more. Renjun can’t know that he likes him — what if Renjun doesn’t like him back? If he confesses, it’s the end of their seven-year friendship. You can’t jump over the boundaries of a romantic relationship and expect to crawl back to the limits of a simple friendship that easily.

“Oh.” If Jeno thought that he was imagining things before, right now, he could clearly see the way Renjun’s crestfallen expression paint itself on his features. It stays like that for a few seconds that Jeno felt obliged to throw a joke.

“I mean, if I kissed you, that would be _really_ awkward.”

“Yeah,” Renjun heaves a deep sigh before his lips curve upwards into a grin once again, wiping away any evidence of his sadness a while ago. Jeno has to blink a couple of times and convince himself that he isn’t dreaming.

“You’re right, that would be awkward.” Something deep in Jeno’s stomach twists uncomfortably as a laugh escapes past Renjun’s lips. It isn’t the same sweet laughter that he’s used to hearing and for some reason, it makes the edges of his mouth curl downwards into a small, worried frown.

“You okay?”

“Yeah! Why wouldn’t I be?” Renjun answers his question all too hastily, his head turning away as his gaze drops to his desk instead. Jeno’s frown deepens at his unusual behavior but he backs away from the idea of asking what’s wrong — there are times when Renjun wants to be left alone with his thoughts. He awkwardly hangs around before directing his line of sight right at the direction of the door.

“Right.”

“Right!”

_Oh my god, this is awkward. Why is this suddenly awkward? Did I say something wrong? Did I—_

“Hey, Lele said he got some Christmas cookies left over. Do you want me to grab you one?”

“Yes, please.” Renjun emits a melodic and lighthearted laugh, moving past Jeno to snatch up a tiny mistletoe that Jeno previously left on his desk. He tangles it in front of Jeno with a teasing smile, his eyes curving upwards as he slips the mistletoe inside his backpack.

“I’ll keep this in case someone ever comes around to kiss me.”

“That someone is me.”

“What?” Renjun turns around to stare at hin with wide, surprised eyes and Jeno elicits a series of awkward laughs, barely able to meet the older boy’s inquisitive gaze that landed on him.

“Nothing! I meant to say that someone will… definitely kiss you… haha.”

“I doubt that though I wouldn’t mind it if it’s you.” Jeno’s face heats up, his cheeks turning into a deep shade of red as he steals a glance at his wristwatch before letting out a really loud laugh. He points to the watch before pointing at the doorway.

“Oh, will you look at the time! I have to go, bye!” Jeno hurries out of the door without another stolen glance thrown at the room, his cheeks flushed as he walks down the hallway.

Renjun was definitely not flirting with him. _Right?_

-

 _003_.

“Lee Jeno, you’re an idiot.” Mark heaves a deep, exasperated sigh whilst Donghyuck leans in close to them, as if eavesdropping on their conversation. Jeno narrows his eyes just at the slightest at his best friend but Donghyuck only flashes a cheeky grin at him.

“Why are you always around whenever someone insults me?”

“Well, what kind of best friend would I be if I wasn’t around to witness your idiocy?” Jeno rolls his eyes, resting his arms on the table before he buries his face in them. He elicits an exaggerated sigh, shoulders dropping while Mark reaches over to pat his head in a rather sympathetic manner.

“Wait, why are you calling him an idiot though?” Jeno raises his head, just enough to see the way Mark fix his gaze on Donghyuck with a frown creasing on the corners of his lips.

“Jun told him that he wouldn’t mind it if Jeno kissed him and Jeno bolted out of the dorm as if his ass was on fire.”

“He wanted to kiss you?!” Donghyuck’s voice is torn between frustration and excitement, slamming his hands on the desk. Mark winces at the volume of his voice but Donghyuck pointedly ignores him, pinching Jeno’s cheek just to annoy him.

“Ouch, what the hell?!”

“Damn, Jen. We told you that Injun likes you already. Why did you destroy this opportunity to, I don’t know, make out with him?”

“Shut up.” The tips of Jeno’s ears are burning as he crosses his arms over his chest, trying to contort his expression similar to anger, only to end up sulking by jutting out his bottom lip. Every thought of Renjun and doing sweet things with him sends Jeno into a spiraling and blushing mess, always mumbling incoherent words and getting all shy over the possibility of that happening.

“You need to fix this.” Donghyuck declares, jabbing his thumb right at Jeno’s chest. The older boy winces at the slight pain but he can’t find it in himself to complain since Donghyuck is right — he did mess up and though it would be more embarrassing to do it once again, he should ask Renjun for a kiss. He did spend too many days sitting side by side with his roommate, staring at him discreetly with fleeting glances and getting lost in his trail of thoughts of dating Renjun.

“But how though? I can’t even look at him straight in the eye without remembering his words and blushing so hard.” Mark lets out a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief as he directs his attention to a snickering Donghyuck.

“They’re so whipped for each other. Are they soulmates?”

“God, why does everyone say that?!” Jeno cuts in, tone leaning towards exasperation but Donghyuck and Mark only share a laugh though they did try to stifle the sound from leaving their mouths even if they failed miserably.

“You should tell Injun that you like him. I’m sure he’ll be ecstatic to know that his best friend likes him back.” Mark blurts out all of a sudden and Jeno switches his full attention to him, curling his lips into a confused frown.

“What makes you say that? He likes me?”

“Oh, oops. I shouldn’t have said that. Oh no, now you know the truth.” Mark recites the words in such a monotonous voice that Donghyuck doubles in laughter, clutching his stomach. Jeno only gazes back at them with a frown but soon, his lips are starting to show signs of curving upwards to form a smile.

“Come on, Jen. You can’t tell me that you never noticed the way Jun stares at you all the time and how he practically lights up like a Christmas tree whenever you’re around.”

Jeno opens his mouth, ready to throw an insult but he ends up sealing his lips together with a pink tint dusting across the curves of his cheeks. Mark widens his eyes at him while Donghyuck shrugs in a dismissive manner.

“Jen can be quite… dense sometimes.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

“Stop, are you guys here to give me advice or insult me all day long?” Donghyuck clicks his tongue, shaking his head before walking over to Jeno’s side and loops an arm around his shoulder. Jeno opens his mouth, ready to hurl numerous insults at his best friend but Donghyuck clasps a hand over his mouth to silence him quickly. The taller boy is stunned — he blinks fast before he knits his eyebrows in a rather annoyed manner.

“You remember that the seniors are throwing their annual Christmas party?” Donghyuck throws a glance at Mark before he turns his full attention back to Jeno with a determined glint in his dark orbs. Jeno can’t help but nod his head hastily, eager to hear more details. The younger beams, clearly pleased as he removes his hand away from Jeno’s lips but he keeps his arm tightly wrapped around his shoulder so he won’t have any chance of bolting away.

It’s a tradition in their university for the seniors to throw Christmas parties and underclassmen are always welcome to come through, as long as a senior invites them. There’s a known limit though — a senior can only bring two underclassmen to the party. Ever since Mark turned into a senior, they’ve been bothering him to take to the Christmas party and honestly speaking, it looks like Mark is worn out from all the asking.

There’s a glimmer of mischief in Donghyuck’s eyes and out of habit, Jeno swallows the lump that formed in his throat, the nervousness spiking up deep within his veins. For some reason, he truly dislikes that kind of look on the other boy — whenever that happens, Donghyuck suddenly has a ridiculous plan up his sleeve.

“We should bring Injun and you along so you two could finally make out or something.”

“Stop saying things like that!” Jeno gets so flustered whenever Donghyuck mentions… making out. Even when Jeno has the looks of someone who’ll cause a ruckus the moment he stepped into university, he’s actually the most obedient one out of all of them — even Renjun is more of a troublemaker compared to him.

“Don’t act like it's your first time hearing that. It makes you look like you’re still in high school. ” Jeno can’t form any other words to respond to him so he settles on grumbling under his breath, another frown gracing its way on the edges of his mouth.

“Come on, you really need to get up and ask him out! Before anyone else who probably has a crush on Injun does it first!” Even before Jeno could form an argument in his head, Donghyuck has already turned to Mark with a cheeky smile and his hands clasped together. Mark lets out an exasperated sigh, holding out his palm before Donghyuck can even think of opening his mouth.

“Fine, I’ll take you both.”

“Thank you! This is why you’re my second favorite hyung.” Mark throws an offended look at Donghyuck but the younger boy only responds with a careless shrug and a lopsided grin displayed on his mouth. The two of them face Jeno again and Donghyuck pulls him close against his side, eyes still shining with mischief and trouble.

“One day, you’re going to thank me.”

“I doubt that.”

“Oh, shush. You’re ruining the moment, Jeno.”

-

_004._

“Where have you been?” Those are the first words that slip by Renjun’s lips the moment Jeno stepped inside their dorm. He arches a brow at the older boy as he shrugs his jacket off, approaching him in quiet and careful steps. Renjun is buried underneath a fort of blankets and pillows with his books laid out on the mattress.

He looks exhausted but there’s a twinkle in his eyes that makes Jeno’s heart launch itself against his rib cage, beating all too fast and loud. Renjun stares at him through his bangs before he tenderly runs his fingers through his hair to sift them away. He tugs on his sweatshirt as Jeno finally makes his way through the blankets and places himself right beside Renjun, head falling on his shoulder. Renjun elicits a sweet laugh, gently bumping his head against Jeno’s with a dazzling smile curling on the edges of his lips. Jeno couldn’t help but echo the laughter, pulling away slightly just to steal a glance at the ethereal beauty before him before he lays his chin on the older boy’s shoulder.

“You’ve been studying for so long already.” Jeno mumbles, letting his eyes flicker from word to word until they’ve strung themselves into a coherent sentence. Even then, Jeno has a hard time trying to understand what it means so he gives up, opting to stare at his best friend with a small smile.

“I know, I’m so exhausted.” Renjun shakes his head, heaving an inaudible sigh before he shuts his books, carelessly putting them off the side and snuggling against Jeno’s side. Jeno willingly welcomes him in his arms and Renjun is all too happy to indulge in his warmth, his own arms looping around the younger boy’s torso.

“I kind of miss doing this with you,” Renjun mumbles softly, burying his face on Jeno’s shoulder as he draws invisible patterns right on the other's back using his finger, “I don’t want us to change. Ever.”

That made Jeno stop completely.

Renjun doesn’t want them to change.

_What does he mean by that? Does he know that I like him? Is that why he brought that up?_

Somehow, that’s enough to land a strike on Jeno’s heart, slowly crumpling up the broken pieces and letting themselves bury within the spaces of his rib cage. He can’t believe he actually allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to be Renjun’s boyfriend — there’s no absolute way now for them to end up like that if Renjun doesn’t like him back.

“Oh,” Jeno swallows the invisible lump in his throat, hurriedly burying any emotion that threatens to explode in his chest as he musters up a smile, even if it hurts to turn the corners of his lips upwards, “me too.”

“Promise me that we won't change?”

Jeno bites down any other words that are begging to fall from his lips as he nods his head slowly, heaving a deep, disappointed sigh.

“I promise.”

-

_005._

  
“Come on, get up!” Donghyuck whines, repeatedly shaking Jeno and slapping his shoulder. Jeno responds with an annoyed grunt, pulling the covers over his head but Donghyuck catches a hold on the ends of his blanket, tugging it away forcefully.

“Lee Jeno!”

“Hyuck, don’t!” Jeno unsuccessfully gets to snatch away the covers, choosing to sit up from his bed with his hair ruffled so bad and a frown already drawn on the edges of his mouth. He’s met with a bright smile from the other boy as he throws the covers away from his body.

“Did you forget that we’re heading to the party tonight?” Jeno shakes his head, a frown still plastered on his face as he tries to sneakily slip a hand at his side to grasp his blanket again. Donghyuck is swift though — he pushes it away without a second thought and plops down on the edge of his bed, eyes wide.

“Hey, have you forgotten that you’re going to confess to Injun today?”

“I changed my mind. I don’t want to go.”

“What? Why not?” Donghyuck can sometimes be persistent when he needs an answer and Jeno sort of forgot about that trait of his. He backs away in shock when Donghyuck invades his personal space in a blink of an eye, letting out a yelp.

“What the hell?!” Jeno pushes him away and for once, Donghyuck listens but he does keep himself close, looking at Jeno with a scrutinizing gaze that is enough for the taller male to lower his head and avoid any eye contact with him. Donghyuck huffs, finally backing away but the glimmer of determination is visible in his eyes.

“Did something happen?” Jeno pursues his lips in a thin line, still keeping his line of sight on the mattress. He feels a little silly for admitting it but he knows that Renjun would be at the party, seeing how he has friends practically everywhere — it would be a shock if he wouldn’t be there.

Honestly, Jeno is not that comfortable with seeing Renjun eye-to-eye once again. Ever since he made that promise to his best friend, he did everything to avoid him but not in a way that Renjun would notice — he would get up earlier than necessary and eat his breakfast faster, making an excuse to the older boy that he still has work to do. He’s “conveniently” not available when Renjun tries to bring him out for some ice cream or even a cup of coffee. He either falls asleep before Renjun comes home or he tries to arrive at the dorm a few minutes before curfew, pretending to be exhausted so Renjun wouldn’t talk to him.

It’s really difficult to avoid him but after what Renjun said and the amount of overwhelming love he has for him for the past years, it might be the best course of action.. Or at least, that’s what he thinks.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to confess to Injun…”

“Are you kidding me? Injun might be two seconds away from snapping and slamming you against the wall because you’re so dense and slow from confessing your eternal love for him!” Donghyuck makes exaggerated gestures with his hands but that’s not enough for Jeno to abruptly change his mind once again.

“I just,” Jeno blinks rapidly and he heaves a sigh, running his palms down his face before shaking his head, as if he’s clearing his mind, “Fine, let’s go.”

Donghyuck stares at him long and hard before he finally surrenders, holding out his hands before he snuggles close to wrap an arm around the taller boy’s shoulder. He gently pats his cheek with a reassuring smile curling on his mouth and Jeno feels a little warm after seeing that kind of smile.

“Okay, you won’t regret it. I promise.”

-

_006._

The annual Christmas party is held in different locations and tonight, it seems the seniors are going all out since they’ve successfully snagged an amusement park for themselves. How in the world did the seniors manage to do that is something that Jeno is busy thinking about on their way to the park but his train of thoughts are cut short by Mark slamming on the brakes.

He yelps, holding on the seatbelt as he almost lunges forward due to the momentum. Mark turns off the engine, twisting his body slightly to flash an embarrassed smile at him and Donghyuck.

“Sorry about that. It’s been a long time since I drove.”

“We can clearly see that.” Donghyuck deadpans and Mark struggles to reach over, flicking his forehead hastily and earning a shocked gasp from the other boy before removing his seatbelt. Jeno snickers and removes his own seatbelt, slipping out of the backseat with Donghyuck right on his heels.

“Wow,” Jeno marvels over the lights strung around the amusement park, giving the place an otherworldly and ethereal kind of glow. The thought of them having the amusement park for themselves for tonight runs a shiver down his spine — it’s like this is their own winter wonderland.

“Pretty.” Mark says out loud, gaze flickering from the rides and twinkling lights. Donghyuck pops in with a cheeky grin, blocking the older boy’s view in a snap.

“Me? I know.” Mark, instead of throwing an insult like he usually does, only gets flustered as the red tint colors his cheeks. The sight of him getting embarrassed is enough for Donghyuck’s smile to widen as he naturally attaches himself to Mark’s side.

“Are you two dating?” Jeno asks out loud, the question hanging in the winter air but both Mark and Donghyuck are already rushing away, sharing a laugh whilst elbowing each other. Jeno can only stare at them in disbelief as he trails behind, repeating his question uselessly.

“Hey, are you guys dating? Answer me.”

The pair continue to ignore him, even after they went through the security and finally entered the amusement park. Jeno takes a step back, suddenly overwhelmed by the enchanting sight of the rides going alive for the night with the lights giving everything a magical kind of glow. If Jeno allowed it, he could easily imagine this as some sort of fairytale — he never truly knew how beautiful everything can be with these kind of Christmas lights in the park.

“Jeno!” An arm slithers around his waist easily, making him jump in utter surprise. Jaemin’s smiling face greets him as he pulls Jeno in for a quick hug before holding onto his shoulders. Somehow, Jaemin has the same glimmer of mischief that Donghyuck had a few weeks ago when he declared that Jeno should confess to Renjun during the party. That’s enough for Jeno to feel an uncomfortable twist in his stomach, rendering him speechless for a few moments.

“Come on, you should get on the ferris wheel with me!” Jaemin clings to his arm instead, hurriedly dragging him towards the said ride. Jeno digs his heels on the ground, slowing down their pace as he glances around the game and food booths surrounding them.

“Why should I ride that? It’s boring.”

“Oh, come on! For me?” Jaemin tries to act cute, squishing his cheek against Jeno’s arm but for the first time ever, the older boy is unresponsive to it.

“You can take someone else! Like,” Jeno glances around quickly and he spots Yukhei, one of the seniors as he makes a sad attempt to shoot basketballs in a small basket while laughing over some joke that one of his friends said to him, “Yukhei hyung! Didn’t you say before that you have a crush on him?”

“Shut up, I didn’t say that!” Jeno throws him an unamused look and Jaemin grumbles, finally admitting defeat. “Fine, I do but I’ll take care of that later. I want to ride with you on the ferris wheel first!”

Knowing Jaemin, he’s quite as determined as Donghyuck once he makes up his mind about something so convincing him to do anything else is out of the picture. Jeno heaves a sigh, nodding once and yelping when Jaemin starts dragging him again with an excited squeal. There seems to be a lot of people so they had to dodge a few groups of friends before Jeno is practically pushed in the direction of the ride. Jaemin easily weaves through the line, dragging him right inside. Jeno is baffled since no one seemed to bother to stop Jaemin but he doesn’t say anything for the fear of getting kicked out of the party.

There’s one last cart waiting and Jeno falls for the distraction of Jaemin talking nonsense that he didn’t even realize the fact that he’s already slipping inside the cart. When Jaemin falls silent, he’s slammed with the realization that there’s somebody else right beside him and that somebody is not Jaemin at all.

“Injun?” Jeno blurts out, wide eyes staring at the smaller boy. Renjun has rosy cheeks due to the cold weather and he seems to be freezing, based on the way he has his jacket tightly wrapped around him like always. It’s awfully endearing and adorable and Jeno can’t deny that his heart went wild, slamming itself against his rib cage and possibly skyrocketing out of his chest due to the pressure.

Jeno turns his head away even before Renjun can say anything and he’s met with the surprise of Jaemin cheekily smiling at him. The door is locked already and it seems like the ride is starting soon.

“Nana, what the hell?! Let me out!”

Jaemin only shook his head in reply, a mischievous smile directed at them as he raises a hand to wave goodbye.

“Good luck, Jeno! Go and kiss him already!”

Jeno has never wanted the ground to open up and swallow him so much before until those words escaped Jaemin’s lips. He’s too busy trying to keep his gaze outside and planning out his escape that he almost forgot that Renjun is beside him.

“Ouch, I didn’t know that you didn’t want me around that much, Jeno.” Renjun attempts to keep his voice light and playful but no one can ever miss the hurt underlying his tone. Jeno runs through his options again before letting his shoulders drop, surrendering to his fate that his friends set up for him. He turns his full attention to Renjun and the other boy tries to flash his natural sweet smile at him but he fails halfway through, making him pursue his lips in a thin line instead.

“It’s not like that. I,” Jeno halts, completely loss for words. He doesn’t want to be around Renjun, that’s right. But it’s for an incredibly different kind of reason, compared to what Renjun would possibly make out from the situation.

“I really don't know why you’ve been avoiding me,” _Oh no, he knows about that?_ “But if I ever did anything that hurt you, you know that I never meant to do it. I’m sorry.”

The whole thing — Jeno actively avoiding Renjun and Renjun apologizing for it — makes the twist in Jeno’s stomach more painful and uncomfortable. He hates the feeling so much so he couldn’t help but burst, the emotions running too fast through his veins to properly comprehend the words leaving his lips.

“Injun, I like you.”

A stretch of silence echoes between them and suddenly, his heartbeat sounds too loud in his ears, drowning out any other sounds that are bouncing off in the amusement park. Renjun widens his eyes at the impromptu confession that escaped Jeno’s mouth and he looks utterly surprised.

“You… what?”

Jeno opens his mouth before closing it, not trusting himself to speak because who knows what kind of idiotic things that will leave his lips if he does that. But Renjun is restless; he reaches out to clasp his hand over Jeno’s, staring back at him with a glimmer of hope shining in his starry eyes. Jeno becomes enamoured at how pretty his eyes are that he unconsciously leans in, almost closing the distance between them.

“I like you. I like you so much.”

Jeno isn’t that sure of what reaction he’s supposed to expect from the other boy but when he sees the burst of happiness in Renjun’s expression, it’s safe to say that he’s stumped. Renjun throws his arms around him tightly, a laugh falling from his lips as he pulls the taller boy in a comfortable embrace. Jeno is surprised, body freezing up at the unexpected contact but soon, he finds himself relaxing as he loops his arms around Renjun's tinier frame. His heart rams itself against his rib cage, beating all too fast but Jeno doesn’t mind the amount of happiness slipping through his veins — he never really knew how much he missed Renjun until he held him again.

“You idiot, if you like me then why were you avoiding me?” Renjun breaks away from the embrace and the hurt runs through his dark orbs before the emotion dissipates, replacing it with worry instead. Jeno flashes him a sheepish smile, suddenly too embarrassed at his reason but he can’t really find it in himself to lie anymore.

“Well, you told me that you didn’t want us to change and I thought that you knew I liked you so you said that. I got awkward and couldn’t hang around you without feeling like I’m going to burst and do an impromptu confession.”

“You did do that though.” Renjun points it out and Jeno’s cheeks turn flushed, clearly embarrassed. Even when Renjun is smiling so wide, there’s a certain softness in his eyes that makes Jeno’s heart ache so much.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad like this.” Jeno mumbles, lowering his head to hide the frown that creased itself on his features. Renjun elicits a chuckle, his cold hands gently cupping the taller boy’s cheeks before he makes Jeno face him properly again.

“It’s fine. I guess I can forgive your idiocy.” Jeno pretends to scowl but Renjun only grins at him in response before his expression gets replaced with worrying sadness.

“It’s my fault too. I shouldn’t have said that though I think I should give some context on why I ended up saying that,” Renjun drops his hands from Jeno’s cheeks, choosing to lace their fingers together with a subtle smile curling on his pair.

“Lately, I felt like we didn’t have time together anymore, despite the fact that we’re roommmates. We rarely get to talk properly and even cuddle so I thought that we were drifting apart. So when we talked that night and you held me, I meant to say that I don’t ever want us to drift apart and be there for each other.”

Jeno blinks rapidly, the heat traveling to his cheeks before the realization of Renjun’s words from that night ring in his head.

“Oh, I get it.” Renjun brightens up after that, giving his fingers a squeeze before he leans in to land a kiss on his cheek. The sudden affectionate gesture makes Jeno jolt in surprise, ducking his head to try and cool down the blush on his cheeks.

“I know I said I don’t want us to change but,” Renjun lets go of Jeno’s hands, opting to wrap his arms around Jeno’s neck and flashing a sweet smile at him, “dating you is definitely an exception to that.”

Jeno raises his head, his eyes wide as he stares back at Renjun, letting himself soak in the meaning of his words. He blushes hard once again but he can’t fight the way his lips curl up to match the smile written on his Renjun's pair. A laugh both falls from their lips, resounding clearly in the winter air as their heartbeats fall in sync.

“I wouldn’t mind dating you but aren’t you the one who should ask me out?” Jeno asks, his voice dripping with playfulness as his bright eyes gaze back at Renjun. Renjun mockingly gasps, shaking his head as he lets out an exaggerated sigh.

“I think the idiot should do it.”

“Which is you.”

“Hey!” Renjun lands a punch on Jeno’s arm but Jeno didn’t even flinch — a chuckle only escapes his mouth as he arches an amused brow at him. Renjun wrinkles his nose, starting to pull down the edges of his lips into a frown but Jeno stops him by rounding his arms around Renjun’s waist with a cheeky grin.

“Fine, fine.” Jeno clears his throat, willing down the blush that’s starting to appear along the curves of his cheeks before meeting Renjun’s expectant eyes, “Will you, Huang Renjun, be my boy— ah!”

A yelp leaves Jeno’s lips as Renjun nearly tackles him, holding him tightly and planting kisses all over his face with a sweet, melodious laugh echoing in the air between them.

“Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!”

“Injun, I wasn’t finished—”

“It’s still a yes!” Renjun lands a kiss right on his cheek and Jeno ends up laughing, his heart falling to his feet and jumping up to his chest again, beating crazily because of the exchange. Jeno’s eyes drift up to the cart and his eyes widen at the sight of a tiny mistletoe hanging at the ceiling.

“There’s a mistletoe.” Renjun follows his gaze, eyeing the mistletoe for a moment before his line of sight falls back on Jeno. The taller boy hums and meets Renjun’s hopeful gaze, tenderly cupping his cheeks in his hands. His heart is beating out of control again, an irregular pattern echoing in the confines of his chest but even then, he can’t focus on anything else but at the boy in front of him.

Jeno leans in with his arms tightly looped around Renjun’s small waist. Renjun stays silent, gaze falling on Jeno’s lips as if he’s memorizing the look of it before he allows his eyes to flutter shut. Jeno finds himself doing the same — he takes one last look at Renjun’s pink lips, his heartbeat echoing much louder now as his eyes fall shut, surrounding him in darkness.

In the next second, everything just seems to break into chaos and fall back into place as their lips meet.

Renjun’s lips are achingly soft, a wave of sweetness invading his senses and rendering him a wondrous speechless state. He starts off slow, kissing him as gently as he could as a burst of happiness explodes in his chest. Renjun’s fingers trail down the side of his face, feeling every line and curve of his jaw and god, everything just seems so perfect.

Jeno couldn’t help but pull him even closer, their bodies pressed up against each other as he deepens the kiss even more. Renjun whimpers, hands fisting the front of his sweater as he quietly tugs on it. Jeno lets his teeth gently graze along Renjun’s bottom lip before hesitantly breaking away to catch their breaths.

Renjun’s cheeks are rosy once again but it seems like it’s not because of the weather anymore — he’s obviously flustered but incredibly elated, the happiness is bright in his starry eyes. Jeno couldn’t help but get lost in his dark orbs, growing more and more enamoured at the sight of them.

“That was amazing.” Jeno breathes out, laughing softly as he leans his forehead against Renjun’s. The smaller boy beams brightly at his words, nodding his head enthusiastically.

“It felt like you’ve been holding yourself back from kissing me and you just put in everything the moment we did kiss.”

“Oh, you have no idea.” Jeno mumbles before he curves his lips into another cheeky smile, landing a soft peck on his pair.

“Another round?” Renjun’s eyes briefly drift over to the mistletoe before meeting Jeno’s eyes with a laugh, pulling him close once again and wrapping his arms around his neck.

“Yes, please.”

-

(As the ride finishes up, Jeno and Renjun both stumble out of the cart, both of their cheeks rosy with a smile playing on their lips. Their fingers are tightly entwined with each other’s as Jeno lightly swings their hands, occasionally squeezing Renjun’s fingers.

Jaemin, Donghyuck, and Mark practically light up like a Christmas tree, looking entirely pleased with themselves after seeing the happy reactions written all over their friends’ faces. Donghyuck excitedly bounces over to them with a mischievous grin.

“Did you guys make out?”

“Oh, shut up, Hyuck.” Donghyuck looks shocked and confused as he follows a laughing Renjun and Jeno behind, yelling out his question.

“Hey, answer me! Did you guys make out?”)

-

_007._

“Hey, you’re back early.” Jeno calls out after Renjun trudges in the dorm, dropping his backpack by his feet. He takes off his hat and unravels the scarf before shrugging off his jacket, throwing it over at the side of his bed. He excitedly bounces over to Jeno, leaning down to press a kiss on his cheek but Jeno stops him short.

Jeno retrieves a tiny mistletoe from his desk and Renjun rolls his eyes, stifling his laughter as the taller boy holds it up over their heads.

“Do you always need to carry a mistletoe over our heads every time we kiss?” Jeno throws him an offended look, nodding his head with a serious expression on his features.

“Of course! It’s our tradition now for the holiday season.” Renjun only lets out a laugh, wrapping Jeno up in a tight embrace by looping his arms around the other’s waist. Jeno breaks into a smile, leaning in to press a kiss on Renjun’s forehead, the tip of his nose before allowing their lips to meet in a sweet kiss. Jeno’s heart flutters just the slightest as he pulls away, spotting the blush that’s beginning to color itself on Renjun’s cheeks.

“Looks like you’ll have to hang mistletoes everywhere because you’ll be getting a lot of kisses from me.” Jeno couldn’t help but beam brightly, eyes crinkling as he flashes a grin. This time, Renjun’s heart skips a beat as Jeno pulls him close, landing a feather light kiss on his forehead.

“I wouldn’t mind that.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! feel free to talk to me in [twitter.](http://twitter.com/jenosaints)


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